Cravings
by A.Baroness
Summary: Niles would do anything for his pregnant wife - even in the middle of the night. Birthday fic for leighann415!


**A/N**: A very happy birthday to Leigh Ann, who is an awesome person and whose writing constantly inspires me. This story is more fluff than plot, but sometimes fluff is all we need. Enjoy!

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A good night's sleep, Niles decided, was no longer a possibility. Despite the verbal silence that travelled over from Daphne's side of the bed, all the action happened there. Daphne tossed and turned like a fish on a boat. And Niles had decided to keep quiet. After all, it was his fault she couldn't find a comfortable sleeping position. Well, partly his fault. The first few months of her pregnancy had been so smooth; no morning sickness, no temper tantrums and pure bliss. Now they were past that. It didn't help that Seattle had been hit by an unusual timed heat wave a couple of weeks ago. Most of the words Daphne threw at Niles during those days were curses. His Daphne, the woman he loved more than anything else in this world, sometimes reappeared and he never could be angry with her anyway.

But.

Her constant movement turned their mattress into a bouncing ball for Niles. He hit his head on the head board once and ignored it. He closed his eyes and prayed for sleep. Just a few hours. Then he hit his head for the second time and decided this was it.

"Daphne, are you all right?" He meant to sound concerned, but there was an annoyed undertone that just sneaked in.

"I'm so sorry, Niles. Your child refuses to sleep and I just can't get comfortable." It was always his child when it refused to sleep. Or kept kicking. And since Niles knew that he was horrible at anything that was even remotely sports related, he knew that their child kicking was on the side of her gene pool. But he didn't feel like putting the blame on anyone tonight. He just wanted to sleep!

"Can I do something – anything – to help?"

"You must be tired." He was, but he simply smiled at her.

"Never too tired to be there for my wife and child."

"I'm a little bit hungry actually." Daphne admitted with a sheepish grin.

"You want to eat at-" Niles picked up his watch to check the time, "at 2.35 a.m.?"

"You want to sleep, I know."

"That's not it. But do you think it would be wise to-" Niles stopped when Daphne glared at him. A storm was brewing in her eyes and he wished he'd kept quiet.

"Wise?"

"According to the book, you shouldn't give in to every craving." Niles finished carefully.

"Well, if the book says so," Daphne turned away from him, "good night."

Niles waited for her to resume her tossing and turning. Or to yell at him. This was exactly the situation he'd been waiting for - quiet. Except he didn't want Daphne to be angry with him.

"I'm sorry, Daphne. I'm just so tired."

"I'm tired, too." She said, but didn't turn around just yet. Her words sounded muffled.

"But right now I'm even hungrier." Daphne finally faced him. It seemed like she couldn't stay angry with him either. Instinctively, Niles put his hand on her swollen stomach. Instead of a small, determined kick he felt a low grumble indicating that Daphne was indeed hungry. So damn the book and the rules. Niles leaned over and quickly kissed her before he got up.

"What would you like to eat?"

"Scrambled eggs." Daphne told him with a big smile. "With bacon."

"We don't have bacon."

"We do. It's hidden behind the yoghurt."

"Ah."

"Do you want me to get up myself? I know you have to work tomorrow." Niles sighed. He did have to work tomorrow – or rather in a couple of hours. He would sleep once the baby was born and all of this just a sweet memory.

"It's fine, my love. I'm up anyway. Just holler if you need anything else." He meant it as a joke of course.

"Niles?" The way she bit her lip let Niles knew that he wouldn't like what she was about to say.

"Yes, my love?"

"Do you know what I really want right now?" He was hoping for some vegetable or a fruit, but he feared the worst. If it could get worse than bacon.

"Orangina."

"What?"

"Orangina. The lemonade?"

"I know what it is – but why? I mean Organina? I think we might have orange juice." Daphne shook her head.

"No, it has to be Orangina. I want Orangina." She sounded like a small child.

"We don't have any, my love." The way she just kept looking at him without saying another word made his mind reel.

"Just the eggs then." The disappointment in Daphne's voice hurt Niles much more than the lack of sleep. He knew he had to do something.

Despite his exhaustion, Niles descended the stairs quickly. He had a stash of emergency clothing downstairs just in case. About two years ago in a really preventable accident, he had spilled coffee on his pants. Unaware that he wasn't home alone, he'd taken them off – as well as his shirt. Only clad in his underwear he had walked through his apartment. And then there had been Juna – his maid. One of them had screamed (probably Niles) and afterwards they had been unable to look into each other's eyes for week.

Niles dressed in his study. He made a mental note to add a tie to the stash of clothes once he replaced them. He would have to go out without a tie. Which, he figured, was fine at 3 a.m. in the morning. Niles knew he had to be quick, though. Eventually Daphne would worry what took him so long and then who knew what she'd do if she couldn't find him. Unfortunately he didn't know where to go. And then it hit him: a hotel. After all, many, many years ago an Orangina in a hotel had played a small part in bringing them together. Maybe he was lucky again.

The concierge thought Niles was crazy. Understandable, he figured, but he needed the Orangina.

"I'll pay whatever for it." Niles told him.

"I'm not sure I can do that, sir."

"My wife is pregnant," Niles began and the concierge stopped him.

"Say no more. I'll get you a bottle."

As Niles entered the Montana again – with two cold Oranginas in tow – he checked the time: he'd been gone 15 minutes. He almost ran up the stairs to surprise Daphne. The room was dark; he would have figured she'd turn on the lights. But it was also quiet. And as he listened, he could swear that Daphne's breathing was deep and even. She had fallen back asleep!

"Daphne?" He asked into the darkness. No reaction. Niles sighed and put the two small bottles on her nightstand. He undressed and got into bed. Maybe he'd find some sleep now.

He was wrong, of course.

Ten minutes later, Daphne started to toss and turn once more, more gently this time. Niles kept his eyes shut again in eerily similar way as earlier that night.

"Niles? Did I actually eat the scrambled eggs? I must have fallen asleep!" Daphne turned on the lights and Niles was fully awake – again.

"You fell asleep before I even-" He'd never even started on the eggs, "I brought you something else. Turn around." Daphne did as she was told.

"Oh, Niles!" She quickly snatched up one of the bottles. "How did you manage to find Orangina in the middle of the night?" Daphne didn't wait for his answer and opened the sugary beverage.

"It was quite easy actually. I hope you – and our child – are happy now."

"I am." She said with a smile and gave him a soft kiss. Her lips tasted like the Orangina.

"Can we sleep now? Please?"

"I'm still hungry." Daphne admitted. "But instead of scrambled eggs I'd like some cookies now. They're hidden behind the oatmeal." Niles opened his mouth to protest, but Daphne kissed him again and took his words away.

"I'll get them." He told her.

Niles brought Daphne the cookies on a plate. He couldn't ask her to get up to eat them and the thought of cookie crumbles flying around and landing on their bed nearly drove him insane. But when he saw Daphne's face light up, he forgot about that, too.

"You know," she said as he handed her the plate with the chocolate chip cookies, "I used to connect the taste of Orangina with vacations. And then, for a while, I couldn't drink it at all because it made me think of Donny." Niles startled upon hearing the name, but Daphne just went on.

"That went away. Ever since I've been pregnant, I've had these cravings. I didn't tell you because I know how much you hate lemonade,"

"It's full of sugar." Niles threw in and Daphne nodded,

"They're full of sugar and that's why I stayed away from it, too. Then this little miracle happened… and made me forget about that. The other day I couldn't walk past it and bought a bottle. I've been thinking about it ever since. Tonight it just got too much and I had to have it." Niles could understand wanting to have something – or in his case, someone – that badly.

"We never actually drank that Orangina in the hotel." Daphne finally finished.

"Well, I did get two bottles. I got them both for you, but if you want to share."

"I'll share everything with you." Daphne whispered.

"That stuff is… sweet." Niles almost choked after taking a sip from his Orangina. Daphne laughed and it was all worth it.

"I can't believe you went out at 3 a.m. to get me Orangina."

"I'd do anything for you, Daphne." Their faces were close; they were breathing the same sugary air. Niles listened to the gentle popping sound the carbonated beverages emitted.

"Anything?" She whispered against his lips.

"Hmm."

"Really?"

"Yes." Niles breathed against her. His eyes closed and he no longer cared if he ever slept again.

"I really, really want that bacon."

"What?" Niles opened his eyes to look at Daphne, who wore a radiating smile.

"Just the bacon. Without the eggs." So he got up, his heavy legs hardly supporting him. He wondered if he could switch a few appointments around so he could take a nap the next day.

"Oh Niles?" He turned to her.

"I love you."

And for that fact alone he would give up sleep altogether. Forever.

**THE END**


End file.
